Returned to the Past, the Hero is Protected by the Villain?

Prologue: The Last Fight

Year 2023 of the Exodus Empire

A world similar to our own in advancements in technology, but completely different landmarks and places.

On a particular day that wasn't really special, the world was invaded by monsters from folklore and legends. They came from gates made from rips in the fabric of reality itself.

The first few years went by without trouble. Although there was discord from the sudden emergence of threats that cannot be fought off with mere firearms, the people were not left defenseless.

People around the world would some way or another gain abilities that were unheard of. They were called the 'Reincarnated' and they were equipped with enhanced mobility, strength, and focus that were beyond the average person. Paired that with superhuman abilities that could actually affect the monsters, they were humanities last hope. The first people that were reincarnated in each country made groups and coalitions with one another to close the gates, by heading into the gates and completing the requirements to close the rifts.

Although many died during this expedition, they were able to close the gates that needed to be closed. There were certain rifts that didn't allow passage to the monsters and only remained there. The groups focused on the big rifts first before settling the smaller ones. Although they were able to clean up most of them, they continued to appear, some big, some small.

These first groups and coalitions were also the start of guilds. They had become known as the best guilds, each rivaling the power of the other. These guilds were created to combat the continuous rifts being opened. They were supported by the government, and they trained and employed new reincarnations that wanted to work as a 'Closer,' someone that closes rifts.

Systems were quickly built, each country having their own system of reporting and solving rifts.

Although smaller guilds were made, the main guilds were really the only ones everyone cared about.

Among the Biggest Guilds was the Exol Guild, the strongest guild in the Exodus Empire. They were among the first to venture into the rifts and close them.

The leader of the first group was Deus Manachi(Day-uus Ma-na-chii). He was a natural leader and successfully closed one of the most difficult rifts with the least amount of casualties in his group. Smart, handsome, charismatic, and strong, he was the Exol guild's number one and a national treasure.

However, although he was praised as the new world's last hope, he was someone who was cruel and only focused on efficiency.

If he learned the quickest way to close a rift involved certain weaker members of his group to die, he would not hesitate to go through with the plan.

If a city had to be closed off to stop monsters from invading the other nearby cities, though the civilians would also be trapped with those monsters, he would close the city off and sacrifice the civilians.

He did this all in the name of protecting the people. He weighed the possible outcomes.

The longer a rift was open, the more likely it would harm the people, so the rifts should be closed quickly.

If sacrificing one city will save multiple other cities, than that's what must be done.

When he heard the casualty reports, he always only said these words,

"It's a tragedy, but they would be honored to sacrifice themselves for the Exodus Empire."

The people that knew him admired but also feared him, someone that looked at people like numbers and chose who lived and who died so easily. Although the masses thought of him as a messiah, the people who knew saw him as the devil. They feared the day he would become the ruler of the Exodus Empire, which seemed to be likely as the masses supported him so, and he had ambitions as high as the heavens.